Turkey’s World Cup Disappointment: Coach Montella Under Fire

After a 24-year wait to return to the World Cup, Turkey has crashed out of the tournament in a disappointing fashion, facing intense criticism from their homeland.

Even from 10,000 kilometers away, the messages from Turkey are hard to ignore. Several Sunday newspapers reacted to the team’s dismal World Cup exit with headlines like ‘Our world has collapsed’ and ‘They have destroyed the football happiness of 85 million people’ in large, red and yellow letters.

The nation had waited 24 years, and now, after just two group games, their grand dreams have been shattered. Two losses, no goals scored – Turkey’s World Cup summer has been a washout. Following the crucial 0-1 (0-1) loss to Paraguay in Santa Clara, shock quickly turned into anger. In Turkey, everything is being questioned: the coach, the federation, and the stars.

‘Shameful’ was how young star Arda Güler of Real Madrid described the performance. ‘We are sad, we are crying in the locker room.’ He likely anticipated the backlash the national team would face. ‘We apologize to our people. We must do everything to make amends.’

0-2 Loss to Australia — Turkish World Cup Debacle Instead of a Sporting Turnaround

The hopes had been immense, even after the sobering 0-2 opening loss to Australia. Thousands of fans had gathered in Turkey in the early morning hours. Near the Dolmabahce Palace by the water, in an old fortress in Istanbul, or in an amphitheater in Antalya – the plan was to celebrate a sporting turnaround at this World Cup together.

Instead, the morning ended in a debacle that shook the nation’s footballing self-perception. The sports newspaper Fanatik summarized the failure as being ‘Like Haiti,’ stating, ‘we share the fate of the weakest team in the tournament.’

Consequently, the mood regarding coach Montella has shifted remarkably quickly. The Italian took over the team in 2023, provided structure, led them to the quarter-finals of the European Championship in 2024, and now, for the first time since 2002, to a World Cup – all of which generated genuine euphoria in the country. However, if the Turkish tabloids have their way, Montella should be dismissed, preferably before the last, sportingly meaningless group match against host nation USA.

Vincenzo Montella Faces Mounting Pressure in Turkey

‘ARRIVEDERCI,’ boldly wrote the newspaper Türkiye in Italian, and Sabah demanded: ‘He must be dismissed immediately!’ The accusation: a lack of tactical flexibility is the reason for their exit.

The highly talented squad, featuring young offensive stars like Güler, Kenan Yildiz, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Can Uzun, was indeed considered a dark horse. Yet, in two very similar matches, they failed to break down the Australian and Paraguayan defenses. The team has taken a staggering 62 shots so far in this World Cup, with only 12 of them on target.

Thus, the supposed surprise package has become the tournament’s disappointment, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the world. ‘It’s time to face facts,’ wrote The Athletic: ‘No one should ever call Turkey a dark horse for a World Cup again.’

Turkey’s Squad for the 2026 World Cup